Laois show their class to power past Kildare in the Joe McDonagh

The Laois hurlers Joe McDonagh Cup campaign has not been smooth sailing this season. However, they did keep their chances of qualifying for the final alive with a decent victory over Kildare in Laois Hire O'Moore Park this afternoon.

While not being completely convincing at times, Laois still proved far too strong for Kildare here as they held them to just eleven scores on the day.

Laois 1-23

Kildare 0-11

Laois settled the quicker of the sides into this clash, They brought more intensity early doors and were rewarded the opening three points.

Stephen 'Picky' Maher slotted over three points from placed balls, as the rain began to pour down in Portlaoise which made it tricky for both sides.

Kildare grabbed their first score of the afternoon through full-forward Cian Boran. The Kildare man caught a long ball in well and Boran quickly split the posts.

The match was tough to watch for a while after that, as the rain continued to come down. Both Laois and Kildare were guilty of spurring plenty of chances and making silly errors in possession.

It took until the eighteenth minute for the next score to arrive. It did go the way of the home team though, as Stephen Maher struck over a free following a serious bursting drive from Laois full-back Fiachra C Fennell.

Kildare responded through a David Qualtar free to cut the deficit to two points but Laois began to find their groove in the last minutes before half-time.

Stephen Maher placed over another free before Willie Maher's men grabbed their first score from play. The hard work of Tomas Keyes and Patrick Purcell paid off as midfielder Ross King raised a white flag.

Fiachra C Fennell's runs from full-back were a point of note in the first half, as he found Stephen Maher for another easy point. While David Qualter replied for Kildare from a free, Laois hit back with another 1-3 before the break.

Stephen Maher landed another free before his fellow clubmate and namesake, Stephen Bergin, also registered a point from an acute angle.

Then the sole goal of the first half arrived. Aidan Corby came flying through the heart of the Kildare rearguard and found Tomas Keyes inside who finished low and hard.

Tomas Keyes' confidence was up now. The Camross clubman turned his marker sharply in the next play and curled a lovely point between the uprights.

Kildare grabbed the final score of the first half through Cian Boran but they trailed 0-4 to 1-10 at half-time in O'Moore Park.

The away side looked to cut into that nine-point deficit early in the second half, as Declan Flaherty got them up and running with the opening point.

While Ross King replied for Laois, Kildare grabbed the next two points to leave just seven points between the teams. David Qualter (free) and Cian Boran raised white flags for the Lilywhites.

However, despite a slow start to the second half, Laois grew into the half just like they did in the first. Stephen Maher knocked over another free and then Ross King drilled over his third point of the afternoon.

Laois continued to stretch their lead thanks to further points from Stephen Bergin and Stephen Maher (free). 

While Kildare got back on the scoresheet through substitute Killian Harrington, Laois landed the next two points. Ross King was brilliant in the second half for the winners, as the midfielder split the posts two more times from play.

Laois finished the second half strongly to perhaps make the final score look more convincing than the match really was.

David Qualter popped over a free for Kildare but it was all Laois in the last quarter. Jack Kelly, Martin Phelan (two), Stephen Maher and substitute James Duggan all raised white flags for the men wearing blue and white. 

Kildare managed to tag on two more points in added time, both through David Qualter, but James Duggan would bag the final score of the match.